Fender’s sterling silver pick and coin: Tone-deaf merch?
World’s first sterling silver Fender branded playable guitar plectrum
So 2021 is Fender’s 75th company anniversary. After issuing some new guitars this month to celebrate its birthday, Fender has now announced some more, well, puzzling merchandise: a 75th Anniversary Sterling Silver Pick and a legal tender Fender 1 oz Pure Silver Guitar Pick Coin. The blingy new merch is produced in conjunction with PAMP Switzerland, “the world’s leading bullion brand”. Is it just us, or does this feel a bit off?
Fender 75th Anniversary 1 oz Pure Silver Guitar Pick Shaped Coin
Fender $2 coin · Source: Fender
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Fender has decided to issue a playable Fender Sterling Silver plectrum costing $59.99, as well as Fender 1 oz Pure Silver Guitar Pick Shaped coins that will cost $109.99.
Fender 1oz Pure Silver Guitar Pick Shaped Coin · Source: Fender
Limited Edition Legal Tender Coin
The limited edition coins will each feature iconic guitars. They are Swiss-made, individually serialised and some are engraved with colour.
World’s First sterling silver Fender playable guitar pick! · Source: Fender
PAMP, the company making the new merch, had this to say:
“We are thrilled to partner with Fender on such a unique collaboration,” commented Nadia Haroun, PAMP’s Chief Executive Officer. “In the past year, music has played a key role in bringing us together digitally and a morale boost. Just like the guitars and their artists, the pieces are eclectic and a true testament to our brands, heritage, and savoir-faire”, concluded Nadia Haroun.
Fender Sterling Silver Pick in its box · Source: Fender
Silver Tat
OK, so some people like collecting these kinds of memorabilia. But this feels all kind of wrong, especially during a global pandemic where many pro musicians are struggling to make ends meet. Fender-branded money you can’t spend doesn’t seem the most fitting idea for this moment. But apparently someone at Fender thought this was a good idea. Here’s what the press release says:
Fender Sterling Silver Playable Guitar Pick, part of a series that celebrate the brand’s heritage of helping artists create the world’s most memorable music. The legal tender coin products are limited-edition, Swiss-made, individually serialised, and engraved with colour.
I think someone at Fender should have engaged their brain before issuing silver coins to celebrate the company’s anniversary in the middle of a pandemic that’s decimating the live music industry. As for the playable Fender Sterling Silver pick, it’s just a bit daft. But if you want a one of these, follow the link below to order one. We don’t currently know when these delightful bits of merchandise will be available.
Is this a tasteless, inappropriate move during a pandemic? Or are we just being over-sensitive and moaning about a legitimate bit of blingy marketing for Fender? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
RRP – Fender Silver Pick USD 59.99 / Limited Edition coins USD 109.99 each
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36 responses to “Fender’s sterling silver pick and coin: Tone-deaf merch?”
Well,.. it’s a piece of collectable memorabilia. 75th anniversary is something.
I’m personally not interested but apart from it I don’t feel outraged since none is forcing me to buy it…
So MERCEDES sells car in Pandemic. What’s your point jounalisto?
I suppose its the crappy coin with a guitar on for $109.99 which is legal tender worth $2 and looks pretty awful. Just seems like a shoddy way to celebrate 75 years of guitar/amp history. But, I don’t collect coins/stamps and so probably not the target market for such tat.
You seem hung up on the idea that the coin has a legal tender value of $2 while being sold for $109.
The legal tender value of a precious metal coin is meaningless and has no relation to the metal value. E.g. no one sane is out there using $50 denominated gold coins (worth $2000 today) to pay for their steak dinner. When you go to sell this Fender ‘coin’, it will sell for the value of the metal content plus a premium that reflects its scarcity and its desirability. And to be clear, Fender is not making $107 on each coin, either. Pamp Suisse will charge Fender the metal value, plus manufacturing and shipping costs, plus some premium for the risk they take in holding any inventory, plus whatever margin they agreed to.
And who says they’re making any profit from this anyway? This could just be some vanity project they’ll charge against their marketing budget.
Yes, I understand this is not about the $2 legal tender value. It just sticks out as a stupid idea and one that really doesn’t promote 75 years making musical instruments.
Yeah I’m a gigging musician and this doesn’t offend me, probably not gonna buy one and I agree I don’t see the point, but I’m not mad about it
Probably would have been a better PR move to take the money and setup a fund for helping musicians who have lost all gigs since March 2020.
I think that might have been a much better way of using their brand name to celebrate 75 years in the business.
You’re being over-sensitive and moaning about a legitimate bit of blingy marketing for Fender.
Not sensitive, but if you churn out crap like this, people will have an opinion. My opinion is it looks like cheap overpriced tat. Fender could have instead made a real statement and made something decent. Instead they knock out coins legally worth $2 each for $109, which is pretty crass, especially when the whole music industry is on its knees, looking for work.
yeah okay i kinda get that. the tone just seemed so bandwagon-outragey to me
The current spot price of silver is about $26 an oz. The “coin” is always worth the spot price of silver, which, when sold at coin collector shops/precious metal collectors, will have a premium added because of the collectability of it. Because it is made of actual silver, it stands a chance of holding its value much more than an overpriced signature model of a third-tier guitar player or the 15,000th overdrive pedal variation that companies are pumping out and have done so during the pandemic.
What a stupid opinion piece – Maybe Fender should stop selling all those expensive guitars too. Coin collectors go nuts for stuff like this, they will sell out fast.
You sound like the perfect customer for these. I’d save not waste my money on it though. Crass tat at best.
Jef, you are writing here instead of making a difference. Writing an article about a non-issue looks quite decadent to me. The hours you invested into this could’ve been spent better by helping out in a soup kitchen.
(See, I can do this, too.)
First that Biden piece, now this. GearNews, your job is literally to report on GEAR NEWS. Nothing more, nothing less. Take your whining about trivial stuff to Twitter.
Our job is to write what we like and sometimes we have opinions that we share about things that corporations are trying to sell to you. For example, these coins/plectrums are pretty dumb and pointless in my opinion. We could just release a boring regurgitated press release for you, like every other gear site.
There are plenty of sites for you to read those official press releases on, so feel free to check those out if you like your gear news preconfigured, homogenised, pre-masticated and palatable for a more conservative palette.
I like it when people give opinions, it’s better than simply reposting marketing releases.
Thank you for letting me know you’re not journalists, but activists. I will receive my news from somewhere else from this point onwards.
“There are plenty of sites for you to read those official press releases on, so feel free to check those out if you like your gear news preconfigured, homogenised, pre-masticated and palatable for a more conservative palette.”
How about a site to read press releases mindful of a global audience, regardless of political affiliation? If you didn’t catch on from my name, I’m not American. Nothing from my post implied anything about politics. Seems you’re too eager to turn everything into a “liberal vs. conservative” political battle.
Greetings from Sweden.
Hi Ola,
Thanks for your comment. Just to clarify: I think Jef meant “conservative” in the sense of traditional, and not in the sense of conservative as a political viewpoint. We see ourselves as reporting on gear in a different way to most other gear sites who have been around longer, in that we often offer personal opinions on the gear we talk about. Older, more established sites tend to write using only officially sanctioned information from manufacturers, including press releases, and don’t tend to venture any opinion about the gear. That’s what we do differently. It’s in that sense that Jef meant “conservative”, i.e. favouring news that doesn’t have any opinions about the gear in question. Apologies for the confusion. Of course, we welcome all readers, no matter what their private political views.
In the UK we mean conservative as in – a person who is averse to change and holds traditional values.
“In the UK we mean conservative as in – a person who is averse to change and holds traditional values.”
The aversion to change bit is a personal add-on to your connotation and not a widely recognized trait of those favoring traditions. What, after all is culture but aggregations of tradition?
Everyone has an opinion these days, that’s the problem. We want to escape opinions and just read about gear news…. Bob thinks the silver picks are cool while John thinks the silvers picks aren’t…no one cares.
I’m pretty sure the Biden article was about a piece of gear…
Also, sad lil’ Donny who didn’t get enough hugs from his papa, was one of the worst presidents in U.S. history, so I think a lighthearted jab at his leaving office in utter shame and defeat is fairly appropriate.
Personally I think the design is well done. If only a portion of the profits could assist some of the many out of work Fender Musicians…
I think these coins are totally appropriate because everybody knows Queen Elizabeth II plays a Fender. The Windsors are all shredders.
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My lizard brain wants one because it’s shiny and I like the tactile feel of a good coin in my hand, but I’d never buy them because they’re just kinda cheesy. I don’t think it’s particularly insensitive or offensive however. It would nice if they maybe took the proceeds from this or just took the opportunity to give back to the musical community that supports their business.
Respect the PAMP
Someone, please recommend to me a good gear news feed website, please?
One that reports on gear.
http://www.gearnews.de
The only thing distateful about this, is how the article is written. Cut the moaning Jef – it doesn’t suit you, nor does it belong in a news article. I’ll also be jumping ship. Cya.
Cuck.
I really liked the article and how it was written. Like others have said I really think Fender should use the profits from these pointless picks to help those struggling during this pandemic. But, they have done their job because this press release is getting a lot of attention. I really appreciate the fact that Gear News provides opinions on products and is really genuine as opposed to sites that simply regurgitate press releases. Keep up the good work!!
First of all this “pandemic” where 99.89% of people recover is a joke in the first place. What’s tone deaf is this article.
If you are a musician offended by this you should seriously sell all your gear and get a job cleaning chimneys.
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